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Americas: Facing walls: USA and Mexico's violations of the rights of asylum-seekers

15 June 2017, Index number: AMR 01/6426/2017

Hundreds of thousands of people flee extreme violence in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala each year and seek asylum in Mexico and the United States. This briefing analyses the harsh effect that President Donald Trump's Executive Order on border security will have on these people, as well as the complicit role that the Mexican government plays in pushing people back to danger. Beyond a physical wall, there are a number of inhumane walls that exist and violate international law, including increasing detention of asylum seekers and families, and violations of the non-refoulement principle that effectively return helpless people to life threatening situations.